AUGUST 2020 Maintenance Thread

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AUGUST 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby Lyndzie » Sun Aug 02, 2020 8:13 pm

Welcome to the McDougall Maintenance support group! Let’s join together for support and camaraderie while we strive to maintain our successes.

Many of us have lost weight and/or reached other health goals. We’re ready for that next chapter, maintaining the gains we’ve accomplished.

This group will have Friday check ins, where everyone can touch base. Weigh-ins are optional, and will not be tracked. Please feel free to share your non-scale victories (NSV) as well.

In order to foster group participation, we do ask that only participants post, so please do join! You can join at any time simply by hitting the “post reply” button and saying something along the lines of “I’d like to join.” As they say, the more, the merrier.

Hello everyone!

I finally made it through The Clear Skin Diet, and I’d highly recommend it. It’s definitely geared towards high school and college students, but what is great about this book is how straight-forward and unflinching the authors Nina and Randa are about what it takes to be successful. They say that if you aren’t getting the results, then it’s lack of application. They aren’t mean about it, just honest and factual. The book is a quick read and has some interesting quick recipes in the back (I haven’t tried any yet).

Throughout the book are little wisdom nuggets from well-known plant-based doctors, including Dr. McDougall and Jeff Novick. The book is definitely completely in line with Dr. McDougall’s recommendations, and it is nice to read a WFPB book that aligns entirely with his guidelines. Their advice is whole food, plant-based, focused around starches, and avoiding all high-fat plant foods such as avocado, nuts, seeds, olives and coconut.

I’ve been following the recommendations for over a week now and have noticed a major improvement in my complexion (I had developed some mild acne this spring, affectionately nicknamed “pandemic pimples,” which are now gone). The book is definitely aimed at a younger demographic, but the ease of reading and message makes it good for anyone who wants another pro-plants book on their bookshelf.

First check-in this month is Friday, August 7, 2020.

Stay safe, wash hands and eat starch,
Lindsey
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Re: AUGUST 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby GlennR » Tue Aug 04, 2020 9:52 am

I started to gain weight and popped up some fifteen pounds from the low I'd acheived. I seem to have corraled that pesky problem and I'm starting to head back down again. I am confident I'm back in control. I didn't go crazy or anything but i did succumb to volume eating too often. On plan but too much of a good thing is still an issue for me. Once I get back down and surpass my previous accomplishment in lowering my weight I'll finally write up my journey in full for others. Some of the weight I put on is due to strength training but certainly not all. I have managed to go from floppy arms with loose wings where my triceps ought to have been to adding an inch in circumference with everything tight and lean in my arms. I am aiming at seeing my abs. Once I get there, I'll really feel I've arrived.

WIth the garden in full swing, it's been easy to eat right. Greens, beans, beets, chard, zuccini, turnips, tomatoes, kale, ... are all just a few steps away.

The Spring:

Image

Mid summer:

Image

And straight from the garden into the sink for cleaning and the soup pot for Borscht.

Image
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Re: AUGUST 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby Starchyme » Thu Aug 06, 2020 2:15 pm

HI, remember me? I haven't written in awhile. But I wanted to restart. I've been on maintenance since December 12, 2019 and never regained the weight I lost (20 lbs) But that was this go around. All tolled from the beginning of my McDougall journey was 49 lbs. January 1, 2020 I decided to go MWL 95% and am now 9 lbs less than my original goal weight and been holding it. Needless to say how ecstatic I am because I was on/off diets since I was 13 years of age and I'm in my 80's. Plus I was a half-arsed McDougaller for 24 years. I feel fantastic and all my labs are finally 100% normal. I battled pre-diabetes, high cholesterol/triglycerides off and on all those years. Many more thing have improved also. I walk daily and am beginning to get serious with a fitness program. Age is just a number! Anyone can do it anytime. Thank you Dr. McDougall, Mary and the others for all you generosity and interest in everyone learning about a health-supporting program. A very grateful McDougaller for ever! :)
Happy McDougalling!
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Re: AUGUST 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby Suey51 » Sat Aug 08, 2020 3:31 am

Welcome back Glenn! Well done on the weight training and for getting back on track with the eating. Your garden looks lovely and so productive. Do you have a recipe for the borscht please? We grow and eat a lot of beetroot, and would like to try making it. :-D

Thanks Lindsey for the write-up about The Clear Skin Diet book. Its great to hear that you’ve noticed an improvement in your complexion from following the recommendations.:) Interesting that the improvements have happened so quickly. If you’re happy to share, I’d love to hear more about the changes you made.

Welcome back Starchyme! Yes I remember you and its great to hear the latest news. Your story is very inspiring :) What fitness program are you doing/looking at?

My 7 day average weight is up by 0.9 pounds after some off-program eating last weekend. Daily weight is heading back down to its current ‘normal’ level. I’ve been experimenting with savoury breakfasts recently and saving my usual banana porridge and fruit for later in the day. I often notice that I want something sweet/more calorie dense in the late afternoon and after dinner. The latter is most likely, Cram Circuit, so I am trying to gently ask myself what it is I’m feeling and if I do eat, have something less calorie dense like a small piece of fruit. The late afternoon feeling is most likely mild hunger so I’m trying to have less processed foods, and think of it as a small meal rather than a ‘snack’. I do enjoy the savoury breakfast, my favourite being some rice or rice/millet/bulgur quick cook mix with veggies. Its easy for me to overdo the soy sauce so I’m experimenting with no-salt herb mixes instead, like the Mrs Dash ones I brought back from Santa Rosa last year. I also tried the McDougall Savory Oatmeal recipe for supper (using kale from the garden instead of broccoli), and popped the leftovers in the fridge for a quick breakfast the following day. Sadly, my husband mistook the tub for some babaganoush (aubergine dip made the day before) and used it in a sandwich when he came in from playing cricket. He commented that he did wonder why I’d put kale into the babaganoush but ate it anyway! The savoury oatmeal was good, but I’d adjust the spices next time.

Exercise-wise this week I’ve done two weights sessions, two long-ish walks, two yoga classes and one 25 minute run. I took a few days off my Couch To 5k running program as I was feeling tired and had a little lower back discomfort. Did some stretching and yoga and that has really helped. The aches were a useful reminder that I need to stretch more often (and definitely after a run or walk) and keep up with the yoga….

Bets wishes to all, Sue x
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Re: AUGUST 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby Lyndzie » Wed Aug 12, 2020 3:32 am

Glenn - Good to hear from you! Looks like you’ve had a busy summer with all that gardening - it’s gorgeous. Sounds like you’ve made some strong gains in the exercise department as well. Finding the right balance in maintenance is an art I am still working on mastering. Do you follow the MWL plan? I really like how the MWL group has switched to a behavior-based model, I’ve been using that as more of a litmus test than the scale because while I’d like to be a few vanity pounds lighter, I’m passing the “plate test” day in and day out.

But what is more important and what I feel to be the most important test, is what I call the "plate test." Very few people know about it yet it is one of the most effective tests and simple and easy to do and very inexpensive. You can even do it at home.

Here is how you do it.

When you sit down to eat each meal, look at your "plate" and see if it passes this "test", the "Plate Test."

Are at least 95% of the calories on your plate coming from unrefined unprocessed fruits, vegetables, starchy vegetables, intact whole grains and/or legumes? Are there at least 12-15 grams of fiber coming from whole natural foods? Does it meet my guidelines for sodium? Are any "exceptions" being kept to less than 5% of calories?

If your meal passes this "Plate Test", then I think that is the most effective test you can ever have done and the best indicator of your future health and longevity.

:)

In Health
Jeff Novick, MS, RD


Here is an excellent list of resources compiled by Mark for the August MWL group.

Starchyme - Hello again! Thanks for touching base. What changes did you make to be “95% MWL”? You sound like you are doing quite well. The stories of people’s success when they follow the recommendations are inspiring. Maybe it's time for you to be a star McDougaller? :)

Sue - Your self-awareness regarding the cram circuit is very insightful, what an excellent idea to switch up your meal order to accommodate your natural rhythms. What a funny story about your husband using leftover porridge as a sandwich filling! That must have tasted quite good. You do such a good job at staying active, that is quite commendable during these times. You like to travel, have you made any plans to go anywhere in the future?

As for my dietary changes, I cut out all nuts, seeds, avocado, olives and (most) tofu. I was having almond milk and grape nuts for breakfast everyday, plus one or two additional servings of rich foods, such as avocado on tacos, or olives on pasta. The thought of removing those small condiments seemed really daunting, but now that I’ve switched back to oatmeal for breakfast and cut out those toppings, it really was just an aversion to change holding me back, and now I have a much better complexion to go with it (and, additional bonus, a weird recurring ear infection has miraculously disappeared, too, go figure!). It’s crazy to think about how this one small tweak made such a huge impact.

In other news, I ripped out all the lettuce that had long gone to seed in the garden and need to replant it with something, but the chickens have decided to use that bed to dust bathe in the meantime. We’re getting back into the swing of things for the school year, and continuing to homeschool. Food, as mentioned above, has gone extremely well, with starting the day with oatmeal, having whole simple food-based meals for lunch and dinner, and occasionally a bowl of nice cream in the middle of the afternoon for a cool treat in the heat. I need to redouble my efforts to get in exercise, the mosquitos here have been epic these past few weeks, which is a deterrent for going outside, even during the day.

Wishing everyone a wonderful rest of the week!
Lindsey
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Re: AUGUST 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby Starchyme » Wed Aug 12, 2020 6:01 am

HI, to answer Sue about my fitness routine, it varies day by day: but among them are walking an hour with two friends, virtual strength training, chair yoga, stretching, fitness machines, and when things open up again I'll be trying Tai Chi. I don't overdo it. But for me any movement is good. It took me 82 years to finally develop an affinity for it. LOL Message is it's never too late!
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Re: AUGUST 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby GlennR » Wed Aug 12, 2020 11:46 am

I don't follow MWL as it seems too much like a diet to me, a temporary approach good for weight loss but too restrictive for me to want to follow for a lifetime. I know some find it an acceptible way of eating for their lives but I just don't. It takes longer to lose, perhaps, on the regular program but that's okay with me.
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Re: AUGUST 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby Starchyme » Wed Aug 12, 2020 11:53 am

I'm in accord with Glenn. The thought of ''diet' makes me nauseated. Thus I never did well on them for long. But, when I found our good doctor, it was not that way. Though it took me many a year to follow it strictly, I persisted for just that reason. Now, it's absolutely my way of eating for the rest of my life and I'm loving every morsel of food I eat. I also don't find it restrictive. I wanted to stop eating animals, Needed to limit my salt and sugar, I'm ok with no oil, I love whole grain products, and fruits, veggies, grains, etc. The now make my mouth water. Bless Dr. McDougall and his family and staff.
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Re: AUGUST 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby Ejeff » Fri Aug 14, 2020 6:34 am

Glenn, wow that’s a beautiful huge garden! And Lindsey that’s great cutting out the small amount of higher fat food resolved your skin and your ear infection. I sometimes think about cutting out nuts and seeds, but then I don’t do it as I guess I like them too much. Black olives also, I love them in pasta. Interesting as I was cutting up a can of olives yesterday I really noticed how my hands felt quite oily afterwards. Can’t say I have noticed that before.

I’m still trying to heal right hip and leg, so I have been much less active. Rest does seem to be helping some, but gosh it’s boring lol. I’m hovering around the top of my weight range which is okay for now. I have also been following the plate test and the benefit for me is I do eat far more veggies than I otherwise would. I have been adding 1/2 cup riced cauliflower to my oats each morning and it’s a very satisfying breakfast. I baked some banana bran muffins. And then some banana, bran, oat cookies. As I was eating the cookies, I found the bran added a nice texture so I will do that more often.

My daughter got me a new shirt says “the potato has left the couch”, with a picture of a potato on it. It’s so great cause it has double meaning for me as I love potatoes so much!

Have a happy Friday :-D

Erin
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Re: AUGUST 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby Starchyme » Fri Aug 14, 2020 7:54 am

Erin, glad to hear your leg and hip are healing. Wow, I love that T-shirt. It says it all!
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Re: AUGUST 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby Plumerias » Fri Aug 14, 2020 5:37 pm

Good afternoon all!

Sue, thanks for the greenhouse conversation. Lots to think about there, to dream about, sighing a good sigh. I did get my glasses, on Tuesday afternoon, but it didn't take long for me to know that they're not correct. Sadly, I honestly don't remember the last time someone got my glasses right on the first time. Things have moved, my plate isn't level on the table, this screen is not shaped like a rectangle anymore. I have another appointment later in the month, first I could get given their reduced schedule. Bah.

Glenn is so right about how easy it is to eat well this time of the growing season! We always feel so rich when we shop this time of the year, and it has nothing to do with the bank balance. There's just something so incredibly special about the time of the year when there's so much fresh, local abundance, from local berries to heirloom tomatoes, from the garden to the farmers markets and farms. While it may not be an option this year, we also like going to the orchards for some pick you own fruits as well. There's just something about the apple you just picked and washed off and are enjoying right there among the trees.

We did go out to that farm on the island, twice. (No young lady, the mask goes OVER your nose, not under it. Sigh) There must be a lot of people who put stuff up, because quite a few things were available in larger quantities. Peaches, my husband's favorite summer fruit, maybe his all time favorite (followed by cherries), were sold by the case. We got a case both weeks, and didn't have to go this week. Anybody remember their mother telling them "You're going to turn into __________ (whatever it was you were pigging out on) if you don't stop eating so much of that."? Well, we're turning into peaches here! Lots of corn in the freezer. We made some marinara in the Instant Pot, as roma tomatoes were also sold by the case. It's all portioned out and in the freezer. I have some dishes that I like to make for the freezer when summer produce is abundant, but I have limited space here, so I will need to make choices.

It's really hot here, the entire west coast is under a heat advisory this weekend, with some more southerly locations likely for many more days than just the weekend. Therefore, it remains cold meals time, which is not too difficult with so much fresh seasonal stuff. What's easier than a simple corn salad, corn, mint, and maybe cherry tomatoes?

On cooler mornings my husband has been taking over the kitchen for his flat bread experiments. There's just something really nice about fresh pita bread, yum. Last time he worked on a thinner one to use in place of tortillas and/or flat breads for wraps. Delicious! Just in time for his favorite kind of summer wraps. I do have to be mindful of how much of his bread experiments I eat, lest it show up in my clothes.
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Re: AUGUST 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby Suey51 » Sat Aug 15, 2020 3:18 am

Lindsey – thanks for the link to that list of resources and for sharing the plate test. Thanks for sharing about your dietary changes. It’s wonderful that your skin has improved and the ear infection has gone. Re: future travel. We have flights booked to Spain in early November but no idea whether or not we’ll go!
Starchyme – your fitness routine sounds lovely and very inspiring! Yes, never too late :) and I second Lindsey’s Star McDougaller suggestion!
Erin – your new shirt made me smile, what a great present :)
Plumerias – oh I’m sorry to hear about the glasses, how frustrating. Your beautiful description of the local fruit and veg available at this time of year has my mouth watering! How lovely that your husband has been making pita bread – yum indeed! I’ll have to try making that.

Did anyone catch Dr McDougall’s recent interview with Chef AJ on COVID-19 and climate change? Here in the UK, the government has recently launched a new obesity strategy to urge people to lose weight to beat coronavirus (COVID-19).

The weather started off very hot this week, followed by heavy thunderstorms and now it’s much cooler with drizzly rain. Last weekend, my husband came home from Costco with a whole watermelon so I’ve made salads with that plus cucumber and herbs from the garden; wonderfully refreshing on the hottest days. Yesterday I tried a new recipe from Forks Over Knives, Ratatouille Baked Penne to use up courgettes/zucchini and tomatoes from the garden. It went down well with my husband and vegetarian step-daughter who was visiting, phew! I used less balsalmic vinegar as that was all that was left in the bottle (2 tablespoons instead of the 3 listed in the recipe) and a homemade tomato sauce plus some tomato puree/paste, instead of a can as we didn’t have any in the house. Fruit-wise, we have some plums and pears from friends’ and family’s gardens so I’ve been having those for snacks or with my porridge and some cooking apples which I’ve frozen.

There aren’t many vegan restaurants in our area so we decided to try out one that opened last year in a nearby town. We wanted to support them in the current climate, and it felt like a treat to get dressed up to go out in the evening. The food was OK, but catering more to ethical vegans rather than the health conscious. The new Covid-19 required disposable menus didn’t have meal descriptions so it was difficult to work out ingredients/cooking methods. Also, it was tricky to hear what the waiting staff were saying so we didn’t make an effort to ask questions and apparently the usual waiting staff were away. Perhaps we’ll try it again in a few months, but not on a Monday!

My 7 day average weight is down about half a pound which is in the bottom half of my target weight range. I’ve found the plate test is useful to help me reduce some of the richer foods that I'm tempted to eat when I fancy a snack between main meals. If I want a snack during the day, I’m trying to have fruit, potatoes or porridge and think about it as a mini-meal. I decided not to replace some dry cereal that I often have in the evening as it calls to me from the cupboard….

Best wishes to all, Sue x
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Re: AUGUST 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby Suey51 » Sun Aug 23, 2020 12:24 am

How's everyone's week been?

Weight is the same this week. Eating has been pretty good apart from 2-3 off-program items.

Exercise has been good, with three 28 minute runs and three gym sessions. I find it works best for me to exercise first thing in the morning, otherwise I tend to procrastinate. By late afternoon, I have been feeling tired and indulged in a little sofa-surfing and telly watching. This can lead me to think of an accompanying snack, and I am drawn to dry cereal, bread or other baked goods. If this happens next week, I'll aim to go for less calorie dense items such as fruit with oatmeal, cooked potatoes.

Have been eating a lot of home grown produce this week: potatoes, dwarf beans, beetroot, carrots, tomatoes, courgettes, cucumber, plus pears, plum and apples from friends' gardens. Have made two batches of bulgur with roasted veggies. Having lots of tomatoes to use up I have been more generous than I would be with shop-bought ones, roasting a whole baking tray for the usual quantity of bulgur and not letting them get too dry in the oven. This has made it feel very luxurious, moist and more tasty!

In other news, this week marked a year without alcohol - woo hoo! My life is better without it so I plan to continue. :D

Best wishes, Sue x
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Re: AUGUST 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby Starchyme » Sun Aug 23, 2020 1:20 am

Congratulations, Sue. Wishing you continued success.
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Re: AUGUST 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby Suey51 » Sun Aug 23, 2020 10:22 am

Thanks Starcyhme!
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